Caernarfon Castle - Gwynedd

Date of visit 24/07/2024

Caernarfon was our second castle visit on our trip to North Wales. The castle trips are good for our Little One, as he is mobile and able to climb stairs, and generally able to manage the often uneven surface of historical sites, all the while being chaperoned and on his wrist strap for safety. While he doesn't really get much out of the historical side of our visits, he gets plenty of exercise and fresh air - which are always positive.

Also positive, the free entry to disabled and carers and free parking with a blue badge in the large waterside car park outside the castle.

As Little One is home-schooled we have to have a nice chat with the Local Authority, once a year, and this is what I always say to them, that while Little One wouldn't be able to follow a curriculum in school, he has life experiences with us that hopefully benefit his development. In the last couple of years he has "done" Snowdon, Ben Nevis, walked in freezing cold rivers, and climbed the tower and turret of many a castle.

He may not realise it himself, but these things are hopefully imprinting on his brain, maybe for later recall of some kind. All the while he appears to enjoy our visits, and while my wife and I can do the physical aspect, we will to give him, we hope, a good life.

The first thing we were greeted by was some of the art installations on site. These pieces were part of the "hands that built the castle" exhibition. This exhibition was introduced as part of the reworking of the castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where parts of the castle had been made accessible to all for the first time in centuries. Unfortunately there is currently a problem with the lift accessing the upper floor of the King's Gate, which had been closed to the public at the time of our visit.

It was a shame, as the pictures I have seen indicate this area gives those with limited mobility a real feel for the castle, with some apparent magnificent views! If you decide to visit it would be worth checking to see if the King's Gate access has reopened.

The next thing that strikes you is the sheer size of the castle. Apparently when it was built it cost around £25,000 to build (£23 million today), I guess labour was a lot cheaper in those days, but it was still considered a phenomenal amount of money for the day!

The castle has 12 towers and turrets, many of which are accessible for the more mobile. You can't help but marvel at the building skills that went into building something this big - the walls of some of the towers are 18 to 20 feel thick and were clearly built to last.

Walking down some of the corridors you get a real feel of the sheer size of the place.

There is a museum on site, dedicated to the Royal Welch Fusiliers, which was an interesting and thought provoking exhibition, taking you through the 300+ years history of the Wales' oldest infantry regiment.

I learned why it's Welch and not Welsh and why their mascot is a rather impressive looking goat - so, as I like to say, every day's a school day!

The only disappointment of the day for me, was the poor state of Caernarfon town itself, despite being a Royal Town since 1974 the area has suffered heavily from the moving out of industries over the last 50 years, to the point now where the Caernarfon area is one of the most deprived areas in the 2019 Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD).

It's a real shame, as with such a magnificent castle, at its centre, the town could be so much more!